Fighting Slumlords

A community protest against landlords who do not pay their fees or taxes will be held at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 26 in the 400 block of King Street in Pottstown.

An organizer for Friday's protest said the event is inspired by Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski's Landlord Hall of Shame. According to the municipality's website, "The Landlord Hall of Shame was established in October 2008 for the purpose of bringing public pressure to bear on property owners who refuse to improve substandard conditions on their rental properties and bring down property values across the neighborhood."

An article on the Pottstown Mercury website today lists several "familiar" names of landlords that contribute to a roughly $700,000 tab owed to Pottstown. The story also includes a link to the borough's list of delinquent landlords. 

Tax records can be found on the Montgomery County website.

• More problem properties expected:

In addition to negligent landlords, the growing foreclosure crisis is expected to add to the number of problem properties that concern residents across the U.S. To learn more, read Foreclosure Fighters Take On Banks Over Decaying Properties.

• What Pottstown residents say:

Pottstown: Potential and Problems